Improvement in safety-pockets



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE PALMER, OF LITTLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SjAFETY-POCKETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 182,847, dated October3, 187-6; application filed April 22, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, GEORGE PALMER, of Littlestown, in the county ofAdams and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain'new and usefulImprovements in Safety Pockets or Protectors; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains, tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

The nature of my invention consists in a safety pocket or protector thatmay be secured around the body of the wearer by means of a strap, chain,or other suitable and analogous manner, allowing the hand of the wearerto enter freely within the pockets, and at the mouth of the same beingprovided with sharp teeth, claws, or cutting devices, attached to a rod,the latter arranged and constructed in such a-manner as to be easilyturned, so as to project the teeth, claws, or cutting devices forward,so that a pickpocket or other person, in the endeavor to insert his handwithin the pocket and withdrawing the same, the said teeth, claws, orcutting devices will hold the hand of such person, or so out and woundit as to call the attention of the wearer to the attempt being made torob him of the contents of such pocket. Also, in the attachment to suchpocket-protector of an outer safety-protector, containing within it oneor more rods, upon which are secured teeth, claws, or cutting devices,that are put in action whenever the whole, pocket is cut out, and anattempt made to withdraw it from the person wearing it, which saidclaws, teeth, or cutting devices are then forced into the hand, andcutting the same, of the person attempting to commit robbery or theft.Also, in the devices employed to adjust and retract such teeth, claws,and cutting devices at the will of the wearer, when such wearer desiresaccess to such pocket or protector.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the safetypocket. Fig. 2 is a rearview, showing the additional protector. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 aredetails.

A represents a pouch, which is to be made of a wire frame, B, which isto be hinged on each side to metallic plates 0 O by rivet-joints at 0-0.The plates O O are connected by a curved top plate, 0, having a flange,O, pierced with holes for fastening on it the covering of the pouch. Theends of the pouch are covered with any elastic material, so that it maybe distended by the contents to any practicable extent, and also toserve as springs to draw the sides together. E is a rod passing throughthe two end plates 0 O, and turning freely in them. On this rod aresharp curved cutters, e e, &c., and at the outer end of the rod at plateO is a turning truncated conical plate, F, in which is pivoted. a catch,F, at c. In plateF are two notches, which correspond with notches c 0 inplate O. Oatch F is held down by a spring, f. When the cutting-points ee on rod E are to be turned up out of the way of the hand, the catch Fis placed in the upper notch c, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. When thepoints 0 e are turned down the catch is fitted in notch 0 below, as inFig. 6, which is a view looking down upon the mouth of the pouch.Suspended to the top plate 0 by rings b b is a guard-plate, G, thepurpose of which is to guard the hand of the owner from the points 0 0,whenever he desires to withdraw the contents from the pouch, as it canbe turned up against the points, and lowered again, as shown in Fig. 1.The whole frame is to be covered on both sides with wire cloth, which isto be fastened to the frame by wires. This wire is then to be coveredwith any suitable material, as cloth, velvet, leather, 8E0.

Immediately upon the wire of the side marked A, Fig. 2, is a devicefastened, which is an additional protector, to prevent the pouch frombeing abstracted even should the pocket be cut out from the garment. Ona plate, H, are arranged three rods, h h h, transversely, on which aresharp knives or pointed curved cutters h h, which, when not acted upon,as will be described, lie close down upon the plate. This plate hasturned-up ends 71. h, having holes in them for wires to be woventhrough, as seen at '13 'i 73, Figs. 2 and 5. These wires 4; 41 areplaced between the cuttingknives. On these rods are arms jj, to whichare attached springs k k to keep the cutting- J, which is to be carriedaround the body of the wearer, and the other end fastened to a wireloop, I, which passes through the frame of the pouch atmn,'and the twoends are fastened to the opposite side at m 'n. The chain is left brokenin Figs. 1 and 5.

It will be observed that should the chain be pulled upon the tendencywill be to draw the two sides together. Also, the pull upon the wire 1would draw the rods ll 1, so'th'at the rods h h It will be rotated toraise into an erect position the cutting knives or points h h, as seenin Fig. 5. On the plate H are also stationary points at'such a heightthat should the fabric covering thispart of the pouch be pressed down,as in the act of pulling it away, the points will rise between the wiresiii and through the cloth and pierce the hand, at the same time that thecutting-knives h h do their work, as before described. There are also onthe plate H a number of sharp-pointed steel blades, 0 0 0 '0, projectingbeyond the plate to pierce the hand when elasping the pouch.

Having thus described my invention,-what I claim,and desireto secure byLetters Pat ent,-is v 1. In a pocket-protector, an adjustable rotatingshaft, carrying cutting-blades, constructed and arranged substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

2. The'combination-of the rotating shaft carrying cutting-blades, thecatch F, and frame 0 of the pouch A, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a pocket-protector, the combination of the cutting-blades and theguard G.

4:. The combination of the loop I, chain J, andpouch sides A and B.

5. The combination of the chain J, loop I, and additional protector H,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In the additional protector, the'rods earrying the cutting-bladesoperated by the conne'cting-wires, substantially as andfor the purposeset forth.

In testimony that I claim the "foregoing as my own I-afli'x my signatureinpre'sence of two witnesses.

GEORGE PALMER.

Witnesses:

B. F. JAMEs, JOHN W. PILLING.

